You may know Marty Kelley for his whimsical illustrations in a previous Islandport children's book, titled "Crustacean Vacation." Now he's back with a book all his own. "Albert's Almost Amazing Adventure" tells the story of a young boy who has just returned from a family vacation. As he tells his friends the details of his trip, they add their own twists and turns to create a family adventure like no other. Their stories take young readers on a roller coaster ride of imaginative scenes — Albert confronts a dinosaur, meets a mad scientist and even finds himself fighting pirates. Marty cleverly introduces what is real in black and white, and what is imagined in full color.
We talked with Marty about grumpy wedding guests, his new love for black and white artwork, kids as book critics and more in our latest 5 questions with the author.
IP: What prompted the idea for this book?
MK: I was at a friend’s wedding years ago and I saw this man whose unlikely clothes and grumpy demeanor captured my attention. I took a few candid photos of him and began working on a series of paintings depicting him in unlikely situations (as a kung-fu star, enjoying time at the beach, riding a dinosaur, etc). I so enjoyed creating the artwork that I began writing a story to go along with the art. Over the next 12 years, the story evolved into this book.
IP: Why did you choose to alternate between color and black and white art?
MK: I chose this technique for a few reasons. My art has been gravitating toward black and white for some time now. For this story in particular, the contrast between color and black and white helps differentiate between the parts of the story that are real and imagined. The intentionally dull black and white parts of the story also help make the exciting color parts seem bigger and more exciting.
IP: What medium do you use for your artwork?
MK: I use pencils and chalk on toned paper to create the black and white illustrations. The color art is all watercolor. I use a variety of different papers, brushes and techniques to achieve different looks.
IP: Do you share your books with kids before sending it to publishers?
MK: Always! I visit about 70 schools each year and I love sharing works-in-progress with kids. They’re very honest. If they like a story, they laugh and cheer. If they don’t like a story, it’s very easy to tell. I often go back to stories that I’m working on and revise them based on the reaction I get from the kids. It’s wonderful to make sure they like a book before I send it off to a publisher.
IP: Do you have any plans for continuing Albert’s adventures?
MK: I have a few fun ideas for future stories with Albert and his friends. Stay tuned!
Many thanks to Marty Kelley for taking time out to talk with us! "Albert's Almost Amazing Adventure" is available for pre-order on our web site. And if you happen to be in or around New Boston, New Hampshire on March 12, join Marty for his book launch at at the Whipple Free Library, 67 Mont Vernon Road from 2-4 p.m. There will be live music, book sales, light refreshments and the opportunity for kids to dress up as their favorite characters from the book!
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